Storyteller Mark Nash tells final holiday tales

'Winter Tales' creator steps aside

Nov. 20, 2012

In this 2010 file photo, Mark Nash, former artistic director of Vermont Stage and creator of 'Winter Tales,' is seen relaxing with a book and hot cider at Muddy Waters in Burlington. / BEN SARLE, for the Free Press

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He left Vermont Stage a little more than a year ago, but there’s one thing that’s kept Mark Nash coming back to the Burlington theater company: his baby, “Winter Tales.” He created the holiday storytelling show eight years ago, returned to direct it last season and will be back for one last presentation Dec. 5-9 at FlynnSpace. Cristina Alicea, Nash’s replacement as the artistic director of Vermont Stage, said in an email that she’ll continue the show without Nash, and that “we plan on doing ‘Winter Tales’ for as long as our audiences have an interest in it.” Nash, in a recent phone conversation, talked about why he is coming back for one final round.

Burlington Free Press: When you left Vermont Stage it sounded like you were done with theater. Why did you decide to do “Winter Tales” for two more seasons after you left?

Mark Nash: “Winter Tales” was something that I had pretty much created from whole cloth. Handing that over to Cristina — and because the company wanted to keep it going — I just wanted to ease the transition for Cristina so she could see it once how I would do it. This time she’s actually running the show more than I am and I’m just sort of there on the sidelines to give input when she needs it. Because I know that “Winter Tales” is such a valuable piece of the Vermont Stage season we decided to keep it going.

BFP: Why stop now?

MN: Now I really, really am done with making theater. (laughs) I didn’t have to go cold turkey, so it was a nice way to go out.

BFP: What are you doing now?

MN: I am in graduate school at UVM getting my master’s (degree) in mental-health counseling.

BFP: I imagine there are a lot of jokes in there about how you had years of training working in theater.

MN: Most of my theater friends say, “Not such a big change.”

BFP: What is your ultimate goal with that?

MN: I don’t know yet. I think that going into private practice is certainly a possibility or working in a university setting as a counselor/educator.

BFP: I may already know the answer to this from what you’ve said, but is there any theater in your future?

MN: One never says never, but I have not felt compelled to do any theater and I have actually turned down a number of offers, so probably not.

BFP: It would have to be a perfect offer.

MN: A perfect offer, and that would entail a little bit of work for a lot of money, and those opportunities don’t come very often in theater.